Ornamental hollow metal ball



Sept. 17, 1929. c, H FULLER 1,728,600

ORNAMENTAL HOLLOW METAL BALL Filed May 11. 1928 IN VEN TOR.

' a zmzwuzz 677' A TTORNEYS Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED STATESCHARLES H. FULLER, F ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS ORNAMENTAL HOLLOW METALBALL Application filed May 11, 1928.- Serial No. 277,015;

This invention relates to ornamental hollow balls or spheres such as areused in jewelry as necklace beads, pendants and tide, and methodhereinafter more fully deheads of hatpins and the like.

These hollow balls have heretofore been made from a flat blank stampedfrom a sheet of metal and embodying a plurality of radiating leavesintegrally joined at their blank from which the present ornamentaladjacent inner ends, and each having the outline of a section of theball or sphere to be made. The leaves of the blank have then beensuitably brought together and given the necessary longitudinal andtransverse contour or shape to produce the fin ished article, the sideedges of the leaves being in contiguous relation, and a space being leftbetween the adjacent normally outer or free ends of the leaves to form ahole and provide for stringing the balls or threading a stringtherethrough. However,

there is likely to be a slight space or opening between the edges ofadjacent leaves at the point where the normally outer or free ends ofthe latter are brought together, and it often happens that in stringingthese balls, the fine thread or wire becomes caught in the space oropening between the adjacent sections. In an endeavor to overcome thisdifficulty, it has been proposed to solder the leaves or sections wherethe free ends thereof meet, or to solder a separate ring or eyelet onthe meeting free ends of the sections or leaves. However, for variousreasons, both proposed methods have proven unsatisfactory, particularlybecause of difliculty in carrying the same out and preserving a neatappearance.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide animproved ornamental hollow metal ball and method of making the same,whereby the mentioned difficulty is most readily and effectivelyovercome. I accomplish this object by forming an unbroken or continuousring or eyelet on the normally free or outer end of one of the leaves orsections of the blank, and by forming notches in the normally free orouter ends of the remaining sections for accommodating thev adjacentportions of said integral eyelet or ring when the sections are shapedand brought together to produce the completed or finished article.

The invention consists in the: novel arscribed, shown in theaccompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is plan view of the improved hollow metal ball.is formed;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the complete ball; and I Figure '3 is anenlarged section on line 3-3 of Figure 2. 1'

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the present inventioncontemplates the production of a flat metal blank of the general formshown'in'Figure 1 and embodying a .plurality of radiating leaves orsections 5 integrally joined attheir adjacent inner ends generallyindicated at 6,.and each having the outline of a section of the hollowartiupon a die Whose surface has been supplied with a desired designengraved to a proper depth, and this piece of sheet metal'is struckuntil portions of the "surface are desirably raised and ornamented. Theornamented part is then cut or punched from the sheet to form the blankof Figure 1, portions of the metal being removed as indicated at 7sothat the leaves 5 are of open workformation' asclearly illustrated,and so that a continuous 'orunbroken integral eyelet 8 is formed at thejuncture of the adjacent inner ends of the leaves 5, with an integralcontinuous or projecting eyelet 9 formed on the outer end of one of theleaves 5, and with suitable notches or recesses 10 formed in the outerends of the remaining leaves 5. The leaves or sections 5 are thensuitably shaped into a hollow sphere as clearly shown in Figures 2 and3, in a method and by means well known in the art. When the leaves arethus shaped, the eyelet 9 seats in the recesses or notches 10 so as toprovide a neat joint where the normally free or outer ends of the leavesare brought together, and to provide a durable eyelet at this pointthrough which a string may be threaded Without danger of being caught bypassing between the adjacent edges of the leaves at this point. Theopposite poles of the sphere or ball are thus provided With unbroken orcontinuous integral eyelets in a simple and ifi ent so a to ns r a 'etirely neat and satisfactory article Whose manufacture involves nosoldering or attachment of separate rings or eyelets.

It is obvious't'hat the device may be used to produce various articlesjewelry equal advantage, and the ball may readily be formed ofspheroidal wQI'IDthBI'flhfliJGS.

From the foregoing description it is be- 'lienedthat the article :andmethod of forming itheisamans well asthe advantagesineidentwthenetoywili he "readily understood and appreciated-bythoseskilled in thePa-rt.

xi; Minoraehanges-imay be m'ade without departing from the spirit andscdpeidf :the invention as claimed.

1 What Iol'ai-m as newlisiz-ss- 'lnAS an improved article ofmanufaeture, an ornamentalfihollow metal bail-l com- ;posed of 5aplurality of joined radial "leaves and having an integral continuouseyelet WHGEBthB endsoffithe leaves meet at each pole of the ball.

:2. As an" improved article of manufacture, an ornamentaliho'llow metalball composed offa plurality oi radial leaves baffingwadjaeent endsintegrally-joined at one i pole .ofwthe ball, and La aprdj eoting'integral eyelet 1011 111861111 OifiOIiB Eleaf at "the opposite pole ofthe ball, the ends of the remaining leaves at said opposite polerof theball having recesses in which saideyelet'is sea-ted.

" BQAS animproved article of manll fam :ture an ornamental hollowmetal-bail composed Oififl plurality :oifl radial ileaves 'hav- IQ:

, "ingraidjahent ends integrally joined" at one pole' ofithewbalhland aprojecting integral eyelet on the e'nd ofi-ene leaf at the opposite poleoff-the :ball, the eendsofflthe remaining leaves atwsaid opposite poleof the ball 'havingi recesses in which said aeyel'et is seated, saidball having a turther integral eyelet here the ends of it-hie leayes areintegrally joined at the firstnamed' pole of the :"ball. ln't'estimonywhereof IaffiiXll'iQV signature. 1 Y ACHARLES FULLER.

